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One way to forget
your stroke
BOSTON
— Having a stroke could significantly raise
the risk of dementia, according to a study published
in the June issue of Stroke. The researchers followed
212 dementia-free stroke patients and 1,060 matched
controls for 10 years. Findings showed that baseline
stroke doubled the risk of dementia. Researchers determined
risk by estimating the hazard ratio in each subgroup
by looking at demographic factors, stroke-related factors,
stroke risk factors, and apolipoprotein E epsilon genotype.
Parents just don't
understand
BETHESDA,
MD — We all know that teens can be, shall
we say, unreasonable. Now a team from the US National
Institute of Mental Health has an explanation for the
sulking and tantrums. Their study, published online
May 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, suggests that the centre of reasoning
is one of the last areas of the brain to mature. Researchers
performed MRIs on a group of 13 kids over a decade and
found that excess grey matter declines back to front
as the child ages, which they think is a key part of
brain maturation. The prefrontal cortex, responsible
for reasoning, is the end of the maturation line.
Strength of conviction
CHICAGO
— Acting on the assumption that 824 Catholic
priests, nuns, and brothers represents a pure sample,
the Religious Orders Study shows that patients with
diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease (AD). Earlier reports showed no link between
the two diseases, but this most recent longitudinal
study paints a very different picture. Of the patients
followed, those with diabetes were 65% more likely to
develop AD. The results are published in the May issue
of the Archives of Neurology.
Thanks but no thanks
LONDON
— Breakthrough Breast Cancer, a British
cancer charity, has rejected a whopping ú1 million
($2.5 million Cdn) donation from food giant NestlÄ.
The charity, which raises huge amounts of money for
breast cancer research, has accused NestlÄ of using
them to try to spruce up its tarnished rep following
international outrage at its marketing tactics for baby
formula in the third world. NestlÄ denies the charges
that it uses unethical marketing practices like inducing
doctors to recommend its formula to poor mothers who
can't really afford it.
Death by chocolate
OTTAWA
— In related NestlÄ news, Syed Aamir
Raza, a former employee for the company in Pakistan,
has had his refugee claim tossed out by Canada's Immigration
and Refugee Board. Mr Raza 'saw the light' after witnessing
a formula-fed baby die from malnutrition and has been
campaigning against NestlÄ ever since. He claims
his life is in danger ever since he blew the whistle
in his book called Milking Profits on the topic.
He doesn't want to return to Pakistan out of fear that
the chocolate manufacturer will kill him and he claims
shots have already been fired on his family's home.
Who's been watching
too much ER?
MONTGOMERY,
MD — After a long winter of padding the
blubber stocks, many unfit souls are flocking to the
gym to help them into their summer duds. But one local
county council is afraid that the meeting of out-of-shape
bod and Stairmaster could spell trouble — with
a capital MI. So they've decided to introduce legislation
requiring gyms in the area to install automated external
defibrillators. The gyms aren't jumping for joy, especially
over the price tag — the defibrillators cost about
$2,000 US a pop.
Pop goes the tumour
NEW
ORLEANS — Summer's here, so obey your thirst.
Then again, maybe not. A slew of new studies presented
at a meeting in New Orleans suggest that drinking pop
could be upping patients' risk of developing esophageal
cancer. Several studies reported at the meeting of cancer
and gastrointestinal experts link increased consumption
of soft drinks to a rise in esophageal cancer rates.
Although the findings are interesting, most agreed further
research is needed before governments begin issuing
health warnings on fizzy drinks.
Beautify your bladder
SAN
FRANCISCO — Doctors have discovered another
novel use for Botox — curing incontinence. A study
presented at the 99th annual meeting of the American
Urological Association showed that injections of the
toxin can reduce or eliminate incontinence in patients
who suffer from various types of lower urinary tract
dysfunctions. Researchers looked at 110 patients with
various forms of incontinence; of them, 67.2% of patients
showed improvements with Botox.
The morning after the day before
OTTAWA
— Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew is edging
closer to making the morning after pill available 'behind
the counter' from a pharmacist without a prescription.
The amendment to the Health Act would follow in the
footsteps of BC, Quebec and Saskatchewan where the pill's
already available this way. Mr Pettigrew's actions run
counter to those of the FDA, which has decided not to
allow similar distribution of the drug they call 'Plan
B' — even though an expert panel suggested the
drug is safe and is beneficial to women the quicker
they get it.
Backsliding veggies get new tag
Durham,
NC — Have you ever been lost for words at
the sight of a smug vegetarian sneaking into the local
butcher shop? If so, help is here at last. The Duke
University based American Dialect Society has voted
a newly coined term to describe these herbivorous transgressions
the most useful new word of 2003: 'flexitarian,' meaning
"vegetarian who occasionally eats meat." Flexitarian
neatly captures our dietary zeitgeist — as ever
more people try to cut back on meat and call themselves
vegetarians, but find it hard to resist the pull of
the no-carb way of life.
One-way ticket to South Beach, please
DURHAM,
NC — Speaking of the Atkins diet, it seems
that the hype about low-carb regimens could be true
— they may be more effective at trimming excess
pounds. Two new studies, one published in the May 18
issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine (and
the other sponsored by Atkins), show that these diets
are more effective than low-fat diets within the first
six months. But the studies do show that after a year
both diets yield the same results.
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